


(Please) Say the Name, Seventeen

by naegahosh



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Future, M/M, Post-Break Up, Reunions, actor seungcheol, disbandment au, discharged soldier chan, retired dancer soonyoung, seventeen ensemble - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-17
Updated: 2016-01-17
Packaged: 2018-05-14 11:01:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5741161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/naegahosh/pseuds/naegahosh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two years is a long time that can change a relationship or an entire person. </p><p>But two years is also not enough.</p>
            </blockquote>





	(Please) Say the Name, Seventeen

**Author's Note:**

> i would've never guessed that my first seoksoon piece of writing would turn out to be angst. it ended up being a prologue to a disbanded seventeen au coming to reunite again, really (that will never be written /cries/). but I thought it was worth posting. i'm sorry in advance, please enjoy! 
> 
> +) 1. retired-dancer!soonyoung  
> 2\. hurt!soonyoung  
> 3\. (discharged)soldier!chan  
> 4\. reunited!seventeen

Two years. Twenty-four months. Seven hundred and thirty days.

It had been two whole years since Seventeen had disbanded and went their separate ways. Soonyoung gently rubbed the rim of his coffee mug, taking a bitter sip and frowning wearily. It only seemed like the press conference took place yesterday, yet the memory was unclear and fazed at the same time. Just bits and pieces of Seungcheol's empty eyes that seemed to have let everything go, Seungkwan's shaky hand which Soonyoung tightly squeezed back, Jeonghan's warm and everlasting hug, and... Seokmin. Seokmin's deep eyes that were full of anger, or was it disappointment?

He couldn't remember.  
  
Soonyoung still couldn't believe that time ticked without Seokmin around. Quite well and steady as a matter of fact, as Soonyoung looked at his study desk with cluttered notebooks and an open _Understanding Espresso_  highlighted blindingly like a piece of art. Which reminded him, he had complied to almost everything Seokmin had asked of him except drinking espressos. No matter how hard Seokmin tried to persuade the older that it was the most authentic way to taste the finely ground coffee beans in its raw fashion, Soonyoung had merely scrunch up his face and peck his lips against Seokmin's caffeine stained mouth. And yet here he was now, trying to revive the bitterness off his tongue.  
  
His phone rang at that moment and Soonyoung found himself touching his own lips, slightly moist from the sip he took earlier.

_"Hosh."_

Soonyoung laughed as Seungcheol's familiar voice drifted from the other line, into his ear, and smoothly into his stomach to settle something that pricked uncomfortably.

"That's getting old, Coups."

Soonyoung countered, the two names feeling strange on his tongue and his ears like an unexpected shock of static electricity. Soonyoung could hear Seungcheol laugh from the other side.

_"Well, get your ass down here 'cause we're running late. And I'm supposed to be the leader- well, ex-leader, and you're, you know, the temporary leader when I went into the army."_

Seungcheol was definitely proving his point (on being the leader) as he nagged on and on, obviously unaware that Soonyoung needed to hang up if he could get his ass from the apartment and into Seungcheol's car. Blatantly cutting him off and saying that he would be there in five minutes, Soonyoung grabbed his dove-coloured coat and bolted towards the door, just after a quick check in the hallway mirror. Soonyoung thought that he may have jogged back once more, twice, or maybe three times incase he missed something that Seokmin might see, but decided that it was only civil for such an occasion. It was the first time since their official "break-up and move-out of the dorms" that all thirteen members would gather in one spot, after all. 

Seungcheol was staring ahead in the driver's seat when Soonyoung tumbled out of the apartment lobby and made his way towards his car. And considering that he hadn't acknowledged the younger man getting into the passenger seat, Seungcheol was probably deep in thought. Or simply just spacing out. 

"Hey. You okay?"

Seungcheol flinched visibly at Soonyoung's voice, breathing a smile when he found Soonyoung sitting next to him. 

"Yeah. Great."

Seungcheol replied. And surprisingly, he did look great if not counting the slight dark circles under his eyes. Being the lead actor of the drama that shined of Korea's current top ratings, it was no wonder Seungcheol looked so fixed, celebrity-ish. Like back when they were in the middle of an album promotion. He looked Seventeen-ish. If that even made sense. The car started moving out into the parkway, and Seungcheol took a glimpse at the time.

"Good news. Hansol and Seungkwan are being delayed from their schedule, so we aren't going to be the last ones showing up."

"If that's counted as good news I don't know what is going on with your fancy life right now."

Seungcheol chuckled and rubbed his chin, the fatigue from the continuous all-night shootings wearing off of his smooth face. Seungcheol had taken on a second career in his life and was spending an excellent time of successful debut these days, as an actor with the name Choi Seungcheol.

"I just want to appear like S.Coups again, that's all."

"You don't have to try to be like him."

Soonyoung said, breaking the short pause that followed Seungcheol's remark.

"You are him." 

Seungcheol smiled a little and nodded, as a gesture of gratitude and at the same time, trying to get rid of the awkwardness he brought into the car.

"How's everything with you?"

"It's good."

"And your legs?"

"Rehab every Thursday."

"Barista training?"

"Spectacular."

"Seokmin?"

"......."

Curving a corner to the right, Seungcheol made use of the chance and looked at Soonyoung, only to see the man avoiding his eyes. With his soft auburn head turned towards the window, Soonyoung didn't answer, unknowing that the evident anxiety reflecting off the window was giving him all away. Seungcheol had some kind of a gut sense that Soonyoung and Seokmin had stopped speaking to each other, he just didn't know for how long. Which was unnervingly disturbing, knowing how inseparable they have been as all fans knew. But what fans didn't know, and what made this even worse was that Soonyoung and Seokmin had been going out for five years,  _officially_ , ever since the members walked in on them making out in an empty dressing room. And Seungcheol had never seen their so-called fights last over a week. Ever.

Whatever his guts were telling him, Seungcheol hoped he was wrong. He was probably over-thinking this, considering how Seokmin's voice sounded bright and casual like it always did when they spoke on the phone this morning. But then again, Seokmin had always been a skilled concealer.

"How long have you two been shutting each other out?"

Soonyoung looked taken aback by the question, abruptly facing Seungcheol and eyes wide. After searching Seungcheol's face as if it had the answer to how he found out, Soonyoung gave up and faced forward again. 

"We didn't shut each other out." He replied monotonously. "It happened naturally. We didn't intend it, but we didn't try to stop it either."

"When did this happen?" 

"Exactly two years from today."

His feet slipping off the accelerator, the car skidded dangerously for a couple of seconds before Seungcheol quickly saved themselves by parking the vehicle to the side of the road. 

"Two years?! That's the day we moved out."

Seungcheol cried unbelievably, losing his composed tone in the mix of both surprise and confusion. He continued when Soonyoung showed no sign of responding. 

"You could've told me, in the least."

"There was nothing to tell, because nothing, literally nothing happened." 

Soonyoung forced himself to say, wondering what in the hell did happen to the two of them and finding himself no place better than Seungcheol's curiosity. 

"Soonyoung, if our disbanding meant ending you and Seokmin's relationship as well, then I wouldn't have agreed- We would've talked more, thought more, considered more about-"

"Hyung." Soonyoung cut Seungcheol's tirade off, as the older man looked almost mortified to go to their promised meeting. "It had nothing to do with the group or us disbanding, and it wouldn't have changed anything." 

Seungcheol's look of panic remained, and Soonyoung tried to put on a convincing smile. 

"S.Coups can't help with this one, I'm afraid."   
  


 

  
  
The car peeled into a vast field that was never a parking lot but used as one anyways, and a familiar bunch of a group could be seen in front a small building with military emblems inscribed on two opposite pillars. Another larger group lingered not so far off, holding up banners and placards that Soonyoung could see even from within this distance. They were embellished with the members' names, photos, and three korean letters denotating the number 17, in which Soonyoung couldn't distinguish without feeling a bit guilty. Seungcheol and Soonyoung got out of the car, and feeling apologetic about stripping Seungcheol out of his great appearance and into excessive tire, Soonyoung put on an extra radiant smile as he put his arm around Seungcheol's shoulders.

"This meeting is supposed to be a celebratory one, so don't look so sorry."

Soonyoung said cheerfully.

"You don't have to be. Seriously, for Chan's sake. For our members' sakes. For S.Coups' sake, hyung."

Seungcheol loosened up at this, smiling and nodding firmly before the two charged towards the people that they didn't realize they missed this astoundingly until now. It was weird, Soonyoung thought that he'd seen enough of these faces for the last decade to miss them to this extent, but seeing them now, especially altogether (though the two youngest, omit Chan, still haven't arrived), made a hot lump in his stomach lurch up to his throat. Sure, Soonyoung had met up with the members individually from time to time and saw how they were doing through TV, news articles, and occasional tweets. But just seeing all of them huddled together, it was different. It was cliche, but it did feel whole and complete.

"Seungcheollie hyung! Soonyoungie hyung!"

Chan yelled from beneath his military cap -in which a hand that belonged to God knows who (probably Mingyu) was pressing down on- as soon as he spotted the two older men running over. Their second anniversary of disbandment had coincidentally overlapped with Chan's discharge date from the military, and everyone had somehow mutually agreed to meet on this occasion. Chan was smiling wide, still dressed in his camouflage pattern uniform and vicious black boots. Throwing the uniform cap behind him, Chan leaped forward and jumped into Seungcheol and Soonyoung's arms.

"I'm so happy it's all over."

Chan whispered, a customary line that all the Korean members had said once they were discharged from the military (Seungkwan, who had pushed back his service due to promotions had yet to complete this tradition). All the other members approached loudly, as they were all the time, and Soonyoung exchanged rather violent greetings with everyone. Chan seemed to have gotten a bit more manlier (no, it was probably just the tan because he was still a baby in Soonyoung's eyes), and Junhui and Minghao who flew all the way from China were as noisy as they could possibly be, with Jihoon cynically telling them to shut up, albeit the grin on his lips as he exchanged hi-fives with Soonyoung. Rubbing the side of his arm where Wonwoo planted a throbbing punch, Soonyoung laughed as Jisoo stumbled over with his big eyes brimming with tears. You promised not to cry, Soonyoung snickered, only to be met by an indignant punch where Wonwoo's had just been seconds ago. A gigantic hand gleaming with rings tapped his shoulders, and Soonyoung crooked his neck to see Mingyu smirking down at him. It was as if nothing had changed, and Soonyoung almost slipped that habitual name off his tongue until Seokmin's face popped up behind Mingyu's.

"Hey."

"Hey."

The two said almost simultaneously, falling into a horrifying silence within seconds unimaginable. Soonyoung hadn't thought this through, which was stupid, because anybody would've prepared themselves before coming to see their potential ex-lover in seven hundred and thirty days. Except that those days had been an extremely vast and long period of time, including two calendar changes at the end of each year. It wasn't in Soonyoung's power to keep a non-existent Seokmin around, and time had naturally drifted them apart. Seokmin seemed to have come to understand that as well, seeing how he wasn't saying anything either. Not one side was worked up to confront the other about not making the first call or being pathetic enough to keep their precious pride. After all this time, they weren't even in question anymore. It was over.

Soonyoung hurriedly looked for a member he didn't say hi to yet- Jeonghan. He needed to see Jeonghan right now. Soonyoung caught Jeonghan embracing Seungcheol and was just about to reach for him when that hand was snatched up by Seokmin. The rebound forced Soonyoung to look into Seokmin's eyes. The grip was hard and intentionally sharp, as if Seokmin read Soonyoung's thoughts and was telling him that it wasn't over.

Seokmin hesitated but opened his mouth to say something, when a black van rolled into the field at that moment and Seungkwan sprang out. Seokmin let go of Soonyoung's wrist, but only after squeezing it hard enough to make a point, to remind Soonyoung that "this" wasn't over. Soonyoung wasn't sure if Seokmin meant "this" as in this moment of having a conversation, or this relationship as a whole, but knowing that something wasn't over was giving him this annoying relief. And it was one of the aggravating merits of their relationship; they could read and understand each other with only a mere change of expression or a single gesture. 

"Chan! Lee Chan! Where is our Channie-"

Seungkwan prated, until he found Chan covered from top to bottom in military uniform and tangled between torture, disguised as congratulatory hugs.

"Oh my god, Hansol, you need to see Chan in his military uniform."

"What the fuck, Seungkwan."

Hansol said crankily as he creeped out of the van, obviously having been asleep by the look of his puffy eyes and nestled hair.

"We've already seen that Channie when he enlisted..."

Hansol stopped short. He scanned Chan in his tousled state from head to toe, immediately taking out his phone to take pictures.

"He's tousled! And free! Channie is finally ours again!"

Seungkwan sang as he joined Hansol for their photo-taking round, impressively close to how their fans used to take pictures of themselves. Or that was, until Chan stormed towards them.

"Ooh, that's a new one."

Mingyu made a face, seeing Chan jump on the two brats with a new skill he seemed to have acquired from the army. Hansol lifted his head at this, his carefree eyes landing on the members' faces.

"Oh hi, hyungs. I didn't see you guys there. Wait, whoa. There are a lot of you. Is this all of us-? One two three..."

Hansol started counting as Chan released him, and Seungkwan pushed the younger aside as he tottered into Jeonghan's arms.

"All hyungs are here."

Seungkwan sighed, the childlike behaviour oddly blending naturally with the twenty-eight year old maknae. Youngmin emerged from the van, clearly impressed that everyone had actually showed up on time. Exchanging hugs with Junhui and Minghao whom he hadn't seen for a while, Youngmin started complaining about how significant their presence was during the Seventeen years. He was the manager that had been with the members since the very beginning, now in charge of Karisma, Seungkwan and Hansol's duo unit from Pledis. Seventeen's break-up didn't essentially mean that all the members had left the company. Some stayed, following or renewing their contracts, while some left, seeking to find a new nest or leave the scene completely- as of Soonyoung's case. Hansol, Seungkwan, and Chan still had a couple more years left on their papers and remained, while Wonwoo and Jeonghan renewed their contracts and settled to stay in Pledis. As for the others, 

"Se-ven-teen-! Se-ven-teen-! Se-ven-teen-!"

Soonyoung lost his train of thought as the usual buzz of screaming and yelling names gradually turned into a unified chant. The group of fans behind them had grown uncontrollably immense by now that security guards had to hold them back, and Soonyoung inhaled at the sight. It had been a while since he'd seen a crowd like this. He had expected one of sort, considering the fact that all thirteen members were reuniting in two years and the fans would want be a part of it, whether still angry at them or not. Soonyoung saw placards of his own name and photos among the sea of glowing lightsticks, the beautiful colours of blue and pink that represented them and their fans.

Soonyoung's hand rose a little, eager to wave back, but he wasn't sure whether it was a good idea to give them a smile or a friendly v-sign. The last time Soonyoung did that he had to take in their hostile fury and rash abuse, which took a longer time than he preferred to recover from. Soonyoung had never thought he would be the one to leave the stage, but circumstances changed a person.

It changed him a lot.

He glanced to the side, bumping into Mingyu who was standing behind him, not having expected to lock gazes with Seokmin. Soonyoung held his breath and looked again, but Seokmin's attention was already elsewhere, grinning and waving at the crowd in front of them.  
  
The fans screamed wildly when Seokmin and Seungkwan stepped out to move their bodies along the beat of the Seventeen chant, the two men ceasing right away when Youngmin shot them a stern look. Youngmin then gave a curt whiff of his hand before going back to the van, in which Seungcheol immediately understood as 'let's get on with it'.  
  
Seungcheol faced the crowd and the rest of the members automatically stood in line. The chant died down, and Soonyoung could see that all eyes were on them, full of anticipation and wavering in hope. There was no press, as Chan nor Pledis wanted to make a big news out of this reunification. Chan, because he didn't want the non-active members to be burdened by all the unnecessary attention, while Pledis did not like it when the name Seventeen, or its pieces resurfaced without their consent.

"It's been a while, guys."

Seungcheol spoke, as not a single sound peeped or shuffled from the crowd. Soonyoung would call it miraculous, how all these different people, whether they were the group's fans, just individual members' fans, Korean fans, or international fans, affiliated under one condition of needing to hear what Seungcheol, or they as a whole had to say.

"...I've missed you."

Seungcheol grinned. He seemed overwhelmed, and Soonyoung would only know later through Seungcheol's alcohol-tainted confession, that their leader was carried away by the moment to say something he probably wouldn't have had dared otherwise. 

"But first, we should introduce ourselves, shouldn't we?"

The crowd erupted into a roaring cheer again. With a little tilt of Seungcheol's head towards his members, all twelve other men straightened in sync as if to have rehearsed the action and shouted the words they only whispered in their dreams for the past two years.

"Say the name, Seventeen!" 

**Author's Note:**

> I appreciate kudos and any comments or feedback if you have any! I hope you enjoyed :)


End file.
